In sailing, the sails can be furled and unfurled to define the amount of sail area being exposed to the wind. Reel furling involves winding a sail about an elongated cable or cord. Spinnakers in particular are opened and closed by reel furling. Once furled, the spinnaker can be stored in a storage bag on the sailboat. A major drawback of reel furling apparatus is that the sail cloth is often grabbed or snagged by the cable. During repeated furling and unfurling the adhesion of the sail material to the cable damages the sail cloth, reducing its performance and shortening its life.